On that day, she departed Okinawa with elements of the First Marine Division embarked. The attack transport reached Taku, China, on 30 September and spent the next five days disembarking troops and unloading cargo. She continued to perform duty in support of occupation forces until November when she returned to Pearl Harbor with a complement of troops returning home. In December, she was assigned to the 14th Naval District temporarily to undergo modifications preparatory to her participation in Operation Crossroads, nuclear tests scheduled for the following summer at Bikini Atoll. In June 1946, Burleson moved from Pearl Harbor to Bikini carrying animals to be used in the two nuclear tests. She observed both tests and moved into the test area after each to remove the animals for study. At the end of the summer of 1946, Burleson sailed to the East Coast of the United States. She reported for duty at the Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Virginia, where she was decommissioned on 9 November 1946. That event, however, did not end her service. She was retained in an "in reserve, in service" status as a cargo-handling training ship at Little Creek, Virginia. On 5 October 1956 Burleson was redesignated an unclassified miscellaneous vessel IX-67. She continued to serve as a training ship at Little Creek until her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 September 1968. On 20 November 1968, she was sold to the North American Smelting Company for scrapping. Burleson received one battle star for her World War II service. References Gilliam-class attack transports World War II auxiliary ships of the United States World War II amphibious warfare vessels of the United States Burleson County, Texas Ships built in Los Angeles 1944 ships Ships involved in Operation Crossroads